The most commonly used fibers for the manufacturing of neckties are silk, polyester, wool and wool blends, acetate, rayon, nylon, cotton, linen, and ramie. Neckties made from silk represent about 40 percent of the market. Raw silk is primarily imported from China and, to a far lesser extent, Brazil. Domestic weavers of tie fabrics buy their silk yarn in its natural state and have it finished and dyed by specialists. Technological advances have made possible the use of microfiber polyesters, which produce a rich, soft fabric resembling silk and which can be combined with natural or other artificial fibers to produce a wide range of effects.
The design of neckties is an interactive process between weavers and tie manufacturers. Because small quantities in any given pattern and color are produced, and because fabrics can be so complex, tie fabric weaving is seen as an art form by many in the industry.
The main components of a necktie are the outer fabric, or shell, the interlining (both cut on the bias), and the facing or tipping, which is stitched together by a resilient slip-stitch so that the finished tie can “give” while being tied and recover from constant knotting. The quality of the materials and construction determines if a tie will drape properly and hold its shape without wrinkling.
A well-cut lining is the essence of a good necktie. This interlining determines not only the shape of the tie but also how well it will wear. Therefore, it must be properly coordinated in blend, nap, and weight to the shell fabric. Lightweight outer material may require heavier interlining, while heavier outer fabrics need lighter interlining to give the necessary hand, drape, and recovery. Most interlining manufacturers use a marking system to identify the weight and content of their cloths, usually colored stripes, with one stripe being the lightest and six stripes being the heaviest.
It is also known in the art to have a reversible necktie having two sides or faces, each face being suitable for facing outward from the wearer. The materials used in the two sides of the necktie may be of different colors or different types of fabric or can have different imprinted patterns. Both sides are most commonly joined by together as by stitching and the necktie is everted to produce the reversible tie. As a result of this type of construction, some type of stitching is visible along the length of the necktie. This produces an unattractive appearance for the tie and therefore, there is a need for a method of fabricating a reversible necktie in which no visible line of stitching is present in the peripheral seam of the completed necktie.
In addition, there is also a need to provide a more fashionable necktie that includes two different sections providing two different appearances that can be visible when wearing the necktie.